Sleep
by Weskette
Summary: Jill talks to Chris while he lies asleep in a hospital bed.
1. Chapter 1

**Sleep**

It went horribley wrong, their last mission.

Jill sat beside Chris's hospital bed. She held his unmoving hand and waited for him to wake up. He had fallen asleep nearly an hour before and she stayed the entire time.

She was starting to wonder why.

She had been his partner for five years now and she was tired. She put everything she had into being there for him, taking care of him, being his partner. And she no longer knew why. He was her world, and he was fading. She was questioning her very exsistence. Why love if not to be loved in return?

Her grip lessoned on his hand. "Chris..." she spoke. "I know you're asleep and that you can't hear me, but... That makes this easier." She rubbed her hand over the back of her neck. "I love you," the brunette whispered into the cold, dark hospital room. It echoed around her like it was taunting her. "But I can't anymore. It's... too much."

Chris remained unmoving on the bed, his monitor beeping quietly to prove his heart still beat. She swore at herself for being such a coward. This wasn't the way to tell him. She should just wait until he wakes up, but she couldn't. It was hard enough to say the three words she had while he was sleeping. She could never say them to his face while he was awake.

She sighed angrily at herself. She was nothing to him, she knew. No more than a partner or a friend. She was lucky if he did take even a moment out of the day to actually talk to her. Lately it was "Work, work, work. Sorry, Jill, didn't notice you there. I'd love to go to lunch, but I've got paperwork." Jill felt horribly neglected. And used.

"I can't do this anymore." Months of his mistreatment. And he probably didn't even realize. "You getting hurt... It doesn't help this. And I realize it's hard for you to focus on more than one thing, but I feel like you haven't... Haven't even looked at me in the past year." She removed her hand from his and dragged it down her face. "This is hard for me to do... I love you more than I've loved anything else in a long time. But I can't keep sitting by your hospital bed every other month, wondering if you'll even wake up."

She stood and began to pace. Back and forth across the room, her eyes going from her shoes to his face, her shoes, his face, her shoes. "God, Chris. I've loved you since STARS and you haven't noticed! Haven't cared!" She angrily sat back down in her chair. It was late at night and she was exhausted. All she wanted to do was be held by him until she fell asleep. Listen to him hum as she did. But it had been years since he had held her in her sleep.

Jill stood again and moved close to the edge of the bed. Resisting the urge to lean down and place one last kiss on his cheek, she let a tear drip from her eye. She stood over him with her fists clentched and spoke once more. "Goodbye, Chris. I love you, but I can't."

She turned away and carried herself to the doorway. A small movement caught her attention before she could exit. She glanced back to see Chris sitting up in bed, staring at her with big, deep blue eyes full of hurt.

His lips moved and something almost inaudible escaped them. "Jill... Wait."

* * *

**Now, I realize this is short. But I don't know if I want to add another chapter. It'd be great if you could review and give me your opinion on that matter.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sleep**

Jill paused at the doorway. "You heard?" The thoughts in her head turned to chaos as she tried to process his waking.

"Every word," he answered.

"Why should I wait?" she asked in a whisper, hand still on the door frame.

Chris didn't hesitate to reply. "Because I love you." Her hair fell over her face as she stared at her shoes, all at once angry again. He seemed to sense it and frowned. "I'm sorry for... Well, for everything. For neglecting you, for being an ass... All of it." She stepped back into the room and he motioned to a spot on the bed besides him. She tentatively sat in the spot and held off a hug from him. Instead, he took one of her hands. "Jill, I love you. I swear on whatever you want me to swear on; my life, yours, everyones."

She bit her lip, still staring at her lap. "Explain why you didn't tell me before," she ordered quietly. She felt cornered, trapped, and all by her own partner.

Against her will, he pulled her into a hug. She stiffened, not hugging back. "I was scared," he admitted against her shoulder. "I thought I'd lose you." Jill turned her head away from him. This was overwhelming her more than he could know. Tears burned at the back of her eyes, but she didn't let them out. He placed a hand on the side of her face, gently rubbing his thumb over her cheek. "Jill... Look at me."

She shook her head and pulled away, standing. "I... I can't, Chris!" She rushed from the room. He pulled the IV from his hand and ripped off the monitors attached to him. He went after her, but standing at the doorway, he couldn't see her. She was gone.

* * *

**Short is a thing for this story. But it'll update constantly.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sleep**

Jill gripped the steering wheel hard enough that her knuckles turned white. Why'd he have to tell her now? Just when she was about to cut herself off from him. It would've been so much easier. She could have slowly forgotten him, maybe settled down with another guy, had kids. But now, now he had ruined it all. Admitted that he loved her too. Why the hell had he hid it from her? She felt so terrible, so hopeless when she had thought he only wanted her as a friend. But now that she knew how he really felt, how would they be able to do anything anymore? Too much risk in their line of work for it to be a simple romance.

Jill drove home, pushing her car over the speed limit. Her apartment seemed to yell at her; the silence was deafening. She quickly changed into a tanktop and some shorts collapsing in the bed. Silent sobs racked her body and she fell asleep only wishing that he could be holding her like he used to.

She woke up to his voice. "Jill..." She looked up at him with crystal blue eyes. He was back in his civilian clothes, a simple green t-shirt and black sweat pants.

"You shouldn't have left the hospital..." she muttered, pulling the blanket closer around her.

"I needed to see you." He placed a hand on the side of her face. Gently, he pulled her into a kiss. She couldn't help but open to him even though she knew it couldn't last. His touch was addictive and she didn't want it to quit it. She couldn't bring herself to pull away at first. When she finally did, she was crying.

"We shouldn't... I know how this will end."

He brushed away a few tears. "How will it end, Jill?" he asked in a quiet voice.

She closed her eyes. "With one of us standing over the other's dead body, crying."

He nodded. "Or," he whispered. "We could settle down, have kids, and be happy together." She opened her eyes and looked at him. He saw so much in the blue depths; want, anger, sadness, need, hope, and love.

"But what if..."

"There's gonna be a lot if what ifs, Jill. We have to work through them." Chris pulled her into his arms. "We can do it. As long as we're together."

Jill closed her eyes again, feeling his arms around her. "But-"

He cut her off with a kiss. "No buts. I love you, you love me and we're going to make this work."

It was her turn to kiss him. He was overwhelmed by her touch, by something that he had once thought could never happen between them. She ended the kiss but remained close, pressing her forehead to his. "But how? How will we do this? I... I don't know how to start..."

With a smile, he reassured her. "I'll help you." He then answered her question. "Take a vacation, first of all. We've both got at least two months saved up. We'll take that time off. Go somewhere nice. Somewhere that has a beach. After that, see where things go." She bit her lip and made him lay down on the bed. She curled up in his arms.

"We'll set that up tomorrow then... For now, just hold me." He did as she ordered and they fell asleep nestled together. Jill slept better in his arms.

* * *

**I won't be able to update for another week. I apologize.**


	4. Chapter 4

**I'll soon be changing the rating of this story to M for sexual themes.**

* * *

**Sleep**

Jill stood with her arms crossed. Her luggage was at her feet. The airport was surprisingly empty for the time of day. Chris approached with their tickets in hand. "I've got them."

She gave him a wary smile. "When does the plane leave?"

"In an hour. It'll take a few hours to get to Chincoteague. But I've got a room reserved for us at the best hotel there. Sound good?" He smiled lovingly at her.

She nodded. "Yeah."

"C'mon. Let's go sit down." He took her hand and led her to a bench. She eat close to him, her head on his shoulder. He kissed her forehead.

* * *

Jill felt so nervous. Chris had made it past her armor and was now fully aware of it. It made her feel vulnerable. It had been fine before, when he had no idea she loved him.

Then again, it was kind of nice that he knew. He treated her different, just in a good way. He would pull her into random hugs, hold her close for a few moments and release her again. And now, on the plane, he had an arm slung around her even though he was sound asleep. She felt safe there, even though she was nervous.

He shifted, waking up. "Hey, V," he murmured.

She gave him a shakey smile. "Hey."

He pressed a kiss to her cheek, but she turned and captured his lips in a lingering kiss. He accepted it happily. He smiled. "You excited for our vacation?" Our vacation. Things had been shared between them before, but never had it meant so much as now. This time it meant they were lovers. It was another form of being partners that gave the priviledge of ownership of one to the other. Jill owned Chris; Chris owned Jill.

She nodded. "Yeah..."

He noticed her hesitance. "Jill?"

She calmed his fears by pressing her cheek to his. "I am excited. I'm only nervous."

He inhaled her scent. "Why?"

She hesitated again. "This... This is new." He nodded. "Too new."

"Well..." Chris spoke. "It'll take some time."

Jill frowned. "But it shouldn't! We've been partners for years! We know each other better than we know ourselves! This shouldn't be hard; this shouldn't take time! I-" He cut her off with a kiss.

"It is going to be hard and it is going to take time." He placed a hand on the side of her face. "But we'll go through this like we go through everything else. Together." She hugged him, reassured for the moment.


	5. Chapter 5

**Sleep**

Jill woke beside Chris. They had reached the hotel late and, after unpacking their suitcases, had gone to bed. She had fallen asleep cuddled against him, so she found it odd how she was now. She had her back to him and he had one arm extended to reach her waist, though his body was about a foot away. She guessed that, no longer being used to sharing a bed, she had turned away in her sleep.

She rolled over to face him. He felt the movement and opened his eyes. "Morning." She moved closer to him and he kissed her.

"G'morning," she murmured. She closed her eyes and pressed her forhead against his chest.

"What do we want to do first today?" he asked groggily.

She shrugged. "Be lazy." She still felt tired. Not to mention emotionally drained from the past few days.

"A day in?" She nodded. "Okay. We can stay in bed and watch TV all day."

"That sounds nice..." Without thinking, she kissed him. It was almost hesitant but completely loving. When they parted, Chris smiled and pushed the hair back out of her face.

"I love you, Jill," he murmured. She nuzzled against his neck and whispered her reply timidly. He ran a hand down her back. "What do you want to watch?"

She shrugged. "Just put it on a movie." She made him sit up and propped some pillows up behind them. She rested her head on his shoulder as they sat back. He grabbed the remote and flipped on the TV. It was set up a few feet from the end of the bed, as most hotel suites had. He put it on AMC, which was playing some different movies from the 90s. Currently, it was Better Off Dead. Not the best movie, but not the worst. Perfect for a lazy day.

Jill snuggled against Chris. They chatted quietly. She avoided topics like work and focused on him. "How're your stiches?" She gently placed a hand over where his bandages were. While he had been released from the hospital, he still needed maintenance on his injuries. "I should change the bandages."

"Jill, you don't need to..." He tried to stop her, but she pulled his shirt up to see. He had twenty-eight stiches that went up his side furthest from her.

"C'mon... We've got to make sure you heal right if we're ever going to do anything more in bed than kissing or cuddling." His eyes widened at her statement. She blushed horribly, realizing what she had said without thinking. "Well, it's true," she mumbled, not meeting his eyes. She made him roll onto his uninjured side. Her nimble fingers were quick to remove the old bandage, exposing the stiches in his skin. She had taken a few medical training courses for work and could tell they could be taken out in only a few days. "Let that air while I get one of the first aid kits out of my suitcase." He nodded and watched as she slipped from bed to get her suitcase out of the closet. He felt lucky to have her. She returned with the kit in hand. He gritted his teeth as she wiped the edges with disinfectant. "Sorry..." she mumbled. When she was finished, she tugged his shirt back down. "There."

He thanked her and sat up to hug her. She slipped her arms around him, surprisingly comfortable to fall into the routine. She stretched up and kissed him. He accepted it immediately. She ran her tongue over his lower lip, begging for entrance. He let himself be pulled into a deeper kiss. They fell back on the bed, but his hands never strayed from their place on her waist. He wanted her to be the one to make the first move when she was ready. Besides, as she had mentioned earlier, he'd have to wait until after his stiches out.

She tangled her fingers in his hair, the other hand caressing his cheek. Eventually, she pulled away and rested against him.

"We should go to the beach..." she spoke.


	6. Chapter 6

**Sleep**

"Wow, Jill... You look really good." Chris was looking at a bikini clad Jill. It was a pale blue color and exposed more of her skin than he was used to seeing. He had, of course, seen her in it before a few months prior when they were staying in a hotel. He had been just as effected. But she probably didn't know that at the time.

* * *

_"Chris?"_

_The marksman turned to see Jill standing in her bikini, her hands holding the tops up as it was not yet tied. "Yeah?" he replied, controlling every reaction he was having to the site. Exspecially the one south._

_"Could you tie this for me?" she asked lightly, obviously not taking the situation for more than it was._

_"Of course," he replied, keeping his voice from turning gruff and refusing to let his eyes linger. He didn't even touch her skin as he tied the back of her bikini up. "There." He dropped the ends of it and returned to what he had been doing before she had entered the room, his back to her._

_"Thanks..." he heard before she left the room._

* * *

"Chris?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you gonna just stare, or could you tie this for me?" she asked with a soft, almost sad smile. He nodded quickly and went to stand behind her as she looked into the full length mirror. She watched his face as his fingers brushed over her skin, causing goosebumps to rise there. Once finished, he wrapped his arms around her from behind and nuzzling his nose against her neck.

She remembered the last time she had worn the bikini she was in. She had done it purposely, wanting to see if she could get a reaction out of him. When he hadn't show any, she had gone to the bathroom and cried. At the time, she felt hopeless when it came to him. He was all she wanted, but was never good enough for. The fact he hadn't shown any sort of reaction to her nearly naked body taught her that. But now...

But now.

So many words could go after that. But now. But now what? But now they were lovers? But now they were more than partners? But now they could hold, and kiss and love each other openly? They hadn't told anyone that they were together, or even that they were leaving on vacation. The answering machine at their apartments could tell the others that. Or the one on their cellphones. On the Chris's house phone and cellphone, he had the same message. "Hey, we're not home right now, and we won't be for a while. Jill and I are heading on vacation for some alone time, so it'll be hard to get ahold of us. Sorry! We'll call back if we can!" The one on Jill's cellphone and landline was much more timid. "Hey, you've reached Jill. I'm not coming to the phone right now. Chris and I are trying to enjoy our vacation. But if I've seen that you called, I'll try to get back to you." Only Claire had called as of yet, leaving a message on each of their phones. The message on Chris's phone was one that congradulated him for not being an idiot and finally making a move and told him to be good to Jill. The message Claire had left on Jill's phone thanked her for finally taking her "idiot brother" so no slut or whore got him. It also reassured Jill that Chris did indeed love her for Claire had talked about it for hours with the man.

Jill turned and pressed her body flush against his. He tensed, tightening his arms around her, pulling her slim frame closer. He wore no shirt, simply a bandage on his torso (that was covered in waterproof medical tape in order to allow him to swim) and a pair of swim trunks. He took a deep breath, controlling his reactions again. She could have turned him on with the simplest look and turned him on. The fact that they were both nearly naked and were so close together... It made him nearly lose control. He wanted her badly, but would wait. Forever, if he had to.

But she toyed with him, even if it was on accident. She wrapped his arms around his neck and kissed him, leaving her breasts with only a thin layer of fabric between them and his skin. He supressed a groan, but couldn't hide what _she _could feel through only a layer of fabric.

"Chris?"

"... Yes?"

"What's that?" She full well knew what it was, but wanted to hear what he'd say. She pressed down in the area, always one to tease when given such a good chance.

He bite his lip, feeling the pressure of her on the sensitive area. "Nothing a cold shower won't fix."

She laughed lightly, the first time she had in the last few days, and kissed the corner of his mouth before pulling away. "Maybe once your stiches are out, I can fix that instead."


	7. Chapter 7

**Sleep**

Jill walked along the boardwalk, hand in hand with Chris. Chris had thrown a T-shirt on and she had pulled on a v-neck shirt and a pair of shorts over her swim suite. She had a small purse but carried it in her hand verses having the strap over her shoulder.

Chris was estatic to be with her, but something annoyed him. He saw a range of men, from teenagers to older men with graying hair. All of them eyed her like she was something to hoard, a piece of treasure. She was, but only for Chris. He was proud of that fact. The amazing, beautiful, independent Jill Valentine with her gray-blue crystalline eyes was his. They were in a relationship and he loved her.

Jill was having a similar issues. She noticed how many looks he was getting from women as they walked, and the same amount of glares were being thrown her way. She smiled. She had Chris now and could flaunt it. Well, when she wasn't having the occasional bought of insecurity that he seemed to cause her unintentionally. She still felt uneasy about their relationship, but she easily showed her affection and accepted his.

"Let's get some food," she suggested, leading him to a stand that sold various foods such as burgers, fries, and icecream. They ordered an order of medium fries. While Jill was ordering, two blondes approached Chris. They looked what society dubbed as normal, but Chris thought of as fake. Both were no older than twenty-five and by the orange tone of their skin, didn't know what a real tan was.

"Hey," the taller of the two spoke. "What's your name?"

He rolled his eyes, taking a step back as they drew too close. "None of your buisiness. I'm here with my girlfriend," he stated blandly.

"Aw, don't be that way," the other said. "We just came to say hi."

"Hi," Chris said. "Now bye."

Jill approached, unseen by the two girls. Both had stepped even closer to him so he, backing up, had come against an unused picnic table. Jill crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. He saw her and mouthed the word "help". The girls noticed and turned their heads towards her.

"Who are you?" the taller one asked, almost snarling.

"His girlfriend. Now back the hell off." Jill's voice held an icy calm kind of anger that Chris had faced many times.

"It's not like you could do anything for him we couldn't," the tall one retorted.

"And we'd be better at it anyway," the other added. And then the taller one made a mistake. She pressed her hand to Chris's side, the side that he had gotten stiches in. He grimaced in pain and Jill's eyes widened a mere fraction wider.

The sound of a hand hitting a cheek was loud and heard by those in the immediate vicinity. The taller girl touched her stinging cheek lightly before she was shoved away from Chris.

"Chris, babe, you okay?" Jill asked. She gave him a quick peck on the lips before tugging his shirt up to examine the bandage. She felt a small rush of relief that blood wasn't blossoming across the white there.

"I'm fine, Jill... It just hurts."

"Well, of course it hurts, you got stabbed and got stiches." She gave him another peck on the lips before turning on the two bleach-blonde "women". "You fucking idiots!" They cringed. "I could arrest you for assaulting a government official! That's a minimum of a year at jail!" The girl's looked at each other before making a hurried exit. Jill swore, watching them run off. She turned back to Chris. "You sure you're okay?"

He nodded. "It barely hurts."

"I can go back to the car and get your pain medication," she offered, a worried look on her face.

He shook his head. "I'm fine."

"You're sure?"

He nodded. "Just give me a kiss, Valentine. That's all the pain killer I need."

She smiled and obliged, stretching up to plant a kiss on his lips. He rolled his eyes and leaned down to slant his mouth over hers in a quick open mouthed kiss. She placed a hand on his cheek, holding him in the kiss for a few moments longer than he intended. She smiled. "Lets go eat our food and head to the beach."


	8. Chapter 8

**Sleep**

The beach was surprisingly empty. There was a small family at the edge of the water, so Jill and Chris moved down a ways were it was quiet. They had made a stop back to the car (a rental) and gotten a few things. She had bought a bucket and pail in order to, as she said, "properly play in the sand".

Chris spread out their towels on the ground and sat on his. She sat down on hers and took out sunscreen. He watched as she pulled her shirt off to expose all but what the bikini top was covering. Next, her shorts came off to show the bottom she was wearing. She smirked when she realized his gaze was resting on her. "Help me put this on?" He nodded and she handed him the bottle of sunscreen. He put a dab in his palm and warmed it before massaging it over her slightly tanned skin. She leaned against his hands, feeling lucky to have him at that moment. His hands moved over her back, under the strap to her bikini and back down. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, moving over her stomach before returning to her shoulders.

"Thanks," she said. He let his hands linger on her as she put sunblock on her arms and legs as well.

Chris removed his shirt and headed for the water.

After a moment, she followed him. The water was cold, so she walked into the shallows slowly. He was already sitting down a few feet out, mostly submerged. "C'mon, Jill!"

"I'm coming!" she replied. A devious idea started to form in Chris's mind, one that could in fact get him killed. But he did it anyway. He splashed her. She squealed from the sudden soaking and began to shiver. "Christopher!"

"Just get in! You'll be warm again!"

She let out a frustrated growl and took a few steps deeper into the water. He rolled his eyes and stood, moving closer to her. He wrapped his arms around her, almost picking her up. The water on his skin was cold, but he had a heat that rolled off him in waves and permeated her. Goosebumps rose on her skin all around where he touched.

"Warm now?" he whispered into her ear. She nodded. He smiled and gently pulled her farther out as she looped her arms around his neck.

* * *

Chris made a mistake. After swimming, he fell asleep on his beach towel. Jill saw this and concocted her own diabolical plan. She got her shovel and pain from besides her own towel.

When the marksman awoke, his entire torso was covered in sand as well as his arms and legs, leaving only his head, feet, and hands uncovered. Made out of the sand there was a sand castle. One with excruciating detail. There were tiny shells as windows, a seaweed flag, and a driftwood door. Jill was seated beside him, working on the creation. "Jill..." he spoke sleepily.

She jumped at his voice and gave him a devious grin. "You shouldn't have fallen asleep."

He nodded. "I realize that now."

She gave him a kiss on the cheek before standing to admire her handy work. "Pretend your asleep again. I want to take a picture." He complied, closing his eyes and letting his body go limp. She snapped a picture with her phone. "I'm sending it to Claire," she informed.

"Aw, come on. Why?"

"Because she's your sister and deserves to see your humiliation."

"... Can I get up now?"

"No."

"But, Jill!" He looked up at her with puppy dog eyes. She had intended to tease him, giving him false reasons to stay put. But those eyes...

She sighed. "Fine."

He pulled an arm out of the sand and pushed the castle to the side, keeping it as intact as he could. He then pulled his legs and other arm up, finally being free of the sand. Excluding what clung to him. Jill snapped a picture of the Chris shaped indent on the ground and tossed her phone back onto her towel. She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the water. "Let's get the sand off of you," she said before kissing him once more.


	9. Chapter 9

**Sleep**

Upon returning to the hotel, Jill changed into her pajamas. It was late. She sat on the bed and watched as Chris grabbed the boxers he slept in off the dresser.

"I'm gonna take a shower," he informed. She nodded.

"Okay. I'm exhausted. I'm gonna hit the hay," she answered, smiling at him. He paused by the bed to kiss her, being held there by her hand on the side of his face.

"I'll join you in that endeavor when I'm done." He disappeared into the bathroom, already shirtless by the time he was inside.

"Chris?" she spoke timidly.

"Yeah?" He reappeared at the door, wondering what she needed.

"Can you leave the door open? I... I like to hear that you're there," she mumbled, looking down at her lap.

"Of course!" He smiled at her, happy to do anything for the woman he loved. She gave him a small, tired smile before yawning and laying down.

He tried to make his shower quick, wanting to return to her side. He hummed all the while. Jill, nestled under the covers on the bed, listened to him as she fell asleep.

When Chris stepped out of the shower, he dried himself off and slipped on his boxers. The brunette in the next room was already asleep when he got out there. His gaze rested on her, filling him with calm as he watched her sleep. A troubled look appeared on her face. She mouthed something, but he didn't know what. Her hands clentched and she frowned, mumbling now. He sat down besides her, placing his hands on her shoulders. He shook her gently, trying to wake her. "Jill, wake up." She bit her lip and shook her head, though not in response to his request. "C'mon, babe. You're having a nightmare. Wake up."

When her eyes opened, she cringed away from him, fear in the blue depths. "No..." she whispered.

"Shhh." He pulled her closer to himself. "I'm here."

Her hands clung to him, slim fingers finding grip on his shoulders, desperate to keep him anchored before her. He brought her against his chest. He could practically hear her heart beating. She could hear the blood rushing through her veins, suddenly wide awake as adrenaline pumped through. She pressed her face against him, trying to suffocate the tears that wanted to form. "Oh God..." she whispered.

He rubbed her back with one hand to try and calm her down. She shook in his arms, tense and frightened. He wondered what sort of nightmare could do that to his strong Jill Valentine.

Jill, on the other hand, was thankful that he was there. Her dream had been horrible, but not in a generic scary way, like the zombies and BOWs she had faced. It was terrible on her own level. It took Chris away from her, made him forget who she was. That was what terrified her. She had felt forgotten when he had hidden his emotions and her dream had magnified that.

She had seen him walking with another woman in the dream. She had to chase after him, calling his name. When she tried to approach him to ask why he was with someone else and why he hadn't turned to her voice, he had simply said "Who are you?" with a confused and slightly angry look on his face. Waking up to see him over her had not helped. Not, at least, until she realized she was no longer in the dream. Once she realized, she could do nothing more than cling to him as her life line.

"What was it about?" he asked quietly, referring to the nightmare. He had been petrified when he saw the fear in her eyes when she first woke and that heartbroken cry of "No".

"You-" she started to explain, then cutting herself off. "It was just really, really terrible.

He had heard how her explanation would've started. That alone sent a shiver up his spine. "You know I love you, right?"

She was still, taking a deep breath before nodding her head slowly. "I love you too..." she mumbled, still shaken up from the nightmare.

He kissed her forehead, falling back with her onto the bed. It was another fifteen minutes before she could finally breath steadily again.

As much as she loved Chris, she hated the effect he had on her. He made her feel strong, weak, emotional and emotionless all at once. He was the sole person that could turn her into an emotional wreck as she had been lately. She was proud of being a strong woman that didn't need anyone else, but Chris had changed that. She needed him. He compromised her strength and made her able to become what she was at that moment; a scared, quivering woman that was only fixed by his prescence and words of reassurance.

But that was about the only things that she didn't enjoy. She loved his touch, the feel of his arms around her. She loved how he seemed to adore her. She loved how his eyes didn't stray to other women when they passed. She loved the expressions on his face when she was watching him watch her. She loved how if he got out of bed first, he tucked the blankets back in around her.

Most of all, she loved him.


	10. Chapter 10

**Sleep**

Jill's phone rang, loud on the night stand. She groaned and rolled towards the noise. She felt around for it without opening her eyes. She finally found it and hit talk. "... Hello?" She rolled back over onto her back and splayed out. Chris was a little bit away (she had moved out of his grip in her sleep. Again.). He slept soundly still, which was adorable in its self.

"Hey, Jill!" a happy voice answered.

Jill sighed. "Hi. Why are you calling so early?"

"Early? Jill, it's almost eleven. I'm on my break. Some of us actually work." Jill rolled her eyes.

"I'm on vacation for a while."

Claire chuckled. "Yeah, with Chris. How'd that come to be, by the way?" Jill quickly told the short story beginning with the talk in the hospital and ending with the plans of a vacation to alleviate her fears of the future. "You guys should've gotten together ages ago."

"Yeah..."

Chris woke, groggy. He heard Jill talking and turned his head to see her on the phone. He rolled over, snuggling close. "Who are you talking to?" he asked.

"It's Claire," Jill informed. He pressed his face against her neck, breathing in her scent.

"So," Claire started. "When is he going to make you a Redfield?"

Jill blushed. "Claire, we only just started dating..." Chris smiled against her, hearing both sides of the conversation. He kissed Jill's neck, trailing down to her collarbone. "I'd say yes, though..."

"Well, of course you would," Claire laughed. "You two have loved each other for years. At least, I know he's loved you at least that long."

"It's the same for me," Jill said, tilting her head back as Chris roamed over her skin.

"Thought so. What have you guys done so far? And I'm talking about things _outside_of the hotel room. Like dates and stuff."

Jill found it hard to focus with Chris sucking on the side of her neck. "Uhm..." She took a deep breath and slapped lightly at Chris. "We went to the beach... I forgot to send you a picture of that. Chris... fell asleep, so..." She pushed gently on his shoulder, attempting to get him to relent in his assault on her. "I buried him in the sand... And made a... made a..." She whined. "Chris, stop it!"

"What's he doing to you?!" Claire asked. "Nevermind! I don't want to know! Just make him stop so I can finish talking to you!"

Chris laughed, stopped and rested his head on her shoulder.

"He was just kissing me. Anyway, he fell asleep, so I buried him in the sand and built a sand castle on him." She yawned.

"I don't even want to know where he was kissing you," Claire answered. "But that sounds awesome. Send me the picture! Nothing else, though?"

"We walked along the boardwalk."

"Oh, tell her what you did!" Chris said, tilting his head up.

"What'd you do?" The younger Redfield asked from the other side of the phone, having heard Chris.

Jil sighed. "I slapped a bitch, that's what. She and her friend were hitting on Chris and she hurt Chris by touching where his stiches are. No one hurts Chris. Exspecially not some slut."

Claire couldn't help but laugh loudly into the phone. "Oh my God. Jill, you're the, you're the best!" Still laughing, Claire kept speaking. "Oh God! I can't wait until you're officially part of the family. He needs to make you a Redfield, pronto!"

During Claire's laughter, Chris had resumed his assault on Jill's neck. Jill huffed. "Claire, he's doing it again."

"Claire stopped laughing and started complaining. "Chris!" she yelled out of the phone. "Let me talk to my future sister-in-law!"

Chris grabbed the phone from Jill. "You should let _me_kiss my girlfriend on our vacation! Bye!" He hung up and pressed his lips to the side of her neck. Her breath hitched as he nibbled his way down her collarbone.

"Chris..." Jill hissed. "You just scarred your sister, I'm pretty sure."

He spoke in between kisses. "Well..." kiss. "She shouldn't have called..." kiss. "During our vacation."

"She just wanted to... Wanted to... Goddamnit, Chris. I can't focus." He chuckled and moved to her lips. He kissed her, hand gripping her hair. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down against her. It was a few long minutes before he pulled away. "You're being a goddamned tease, you know that?"

He chuckled. "How so?"

"You're kissing me... Like _that_. And you have stiches that have another few days of healing before you and I can do anything... fun."

"You don't think that that's not bothing me?" He groaned low in his throat as she flipped him, her upper body resting on his, though her legs were both to one side. "Because, trust me, it is..." She kissed him and rested her head on his shoulder. "I've got something planned for us, by the way. A date tonight."

"What is it?"

"You'll see."


	11. Chapter 11

**Sleep**

Later in the day, just about the time that the sun went down, Chris announced they had to leave. "Let me check your stitches first," Jill ordered. He nodded, pulled his shirt off, and sat on the bed. She grabbed her medical supplies and pushed him so he was laying on his back. With gentle, steady hands, she removed the old bandage and smiled. The stitches were nearly ready to be removed. "Tomorrow I'll take these out!" she announced happily before placing a clean bandage over the mostly healed wound.

He smiled as well. No stitches opened up a new world for them, one they both wanted desperately. That was obvious with the way they acted around each other, such as Chris's reaction to her bathing suit, or Jill's reaction to Chris early that day.

Chris let the information that he could have her soon sink in and found it only made him want to take her then and there, even at risk of tearing the stitches again. She was beautiful and smart and his girlfriend. He was certain no one else in the world could be more fortunate than he was.

She kissed him and stood, slipping on her shoes. He followed after her. He trailed his hand down her arm before finding hers and holding it gently. He even went as far to open the door for her when they made it to the car. She felt pampered by him, his light touches, his want to please, his chivalry. It was a new feeling. She was used to having to do everything herself. But he had cooked her food, let her sleep in, kept the room clean and held her after a nightmare. She was the one that benefitted from their relationship, not him. He seemed to do all the things she'd prefered not to.

As they stopped at a stop light, he looked over at her and smiled. "You're so beautiful." He hadn't even meant to tell her, but didn't regret it. Forget regret. She was beautiful and needed to know it.

She blushed and looked at her lap, a smile on her face. _"Goddamnit!"_ she thought. _"Only he can do this to me!"_ He laughed as though he could hear her thoughts and took her hand as he drove. "So, where are we going?" she finally asked. She had bugged him all day about it, but to no avail. He had yet to inform her of their date's location.

"You know how it's off season?" he asked. She nodded. "The place that we're going has a special couples night to make more money. We're going at this time so there are less people."

"But where is it?"

"You'll see," he smirked.

She huffed and leaned against the window. She was disappointed to see it was overcast and she couldn't see the stars. She loved to gaze up at the night sky whenever she got the chance. It was calming.

Chris squeezed her hand and turned into their destination. She was unable to find a sign other than a cheesy pink heart that read "Couple's night" in a scrawl. "What is this?" Jill asked.

He smiled, got out, and opened her door for her. "A surprise."

Just inside the building, a dark haired woman sat at a table with a money box on one side and a roll of tickets on the other. She smiled when she saw them. "Here on your honey moon?" she asked.

Heat rose to Jill's cheeks and even Chris had a light blush as he smiled. "No, we're just dating," the brunette replied. Chris dug out his wallet and paid the appropriate amount, recieving a ticket for two. With the first step inside the next room (after handing over their tickets) Jill knew where they were. A planetarium! She loved to visit them whenever she could. She turned and hugged him. "This is awesome!"

He smiled. "I thought you'd like it."

"This is great! Let's find a seat." She dragged him to the back where they would be able to see the entire dome without having to lean back much. As soon as they were seated, Jill glanced around. There were two other couples closer to the front, but other than that, the place was empty. Assured they had some privacy, she leaned over and kissed him. He was caught off guard by it but responded with enthusiasm. It was this way until the presenter turned on the gadget in the middle, projecting the night sky onto the dome. Jill lifted the arm rest in between their chairs and snuggled against him as the show began.


	12. Chapter 12

**Sleep**

When Jill woke the next morning, she snuggled close to Chris. She laughed quietly to herself, happy that she hadn't moved away in the night. He was lying on his side, was snoring softly and had one arm slung over her in a possessive manner. She didn't mind at all. Instead of waking up fully, she nuzzled closer.

Jill had enjoyed their date. It showed how much he knew her. Their conversation during it echoed in her head.

* * *

_"Chris?" she whispered._

_"Yeah?" he replied, his eyes on her face instead of the stellar presentation._

_"How'd you know I'd like this so much?"_

_He smiled and kissed her forehead. "Remember back in STARS when Barry invited the team out to a barbeque at his place?" She nodded. "You probably don't remember but you said that you love astronomy and star-gazing."_

_Jill raised her eyebrows, surprised. "You remembered that?"_

_"I've always loved you, Jill. Remembering what you like just kinda goes along with that."_

* * *

It came to mind how she'd be removing his stitches that day. That excited her. She felt completely sure of their relationship now, for whatever reason. No more crippling anxiety of the future. Just a knowledge to be prepared. All that she really wanted to do was strip him down and, well, everyone knew what came after that. She was definitely looking forward to that. His wound would still be healing after having them removed, so they'd still have to be careful. But still...

She slipped a hand up his shirt, setting it gently on the bandage. He stirred. "Hm? Jill?" She smiled, moving her hand from his bandage to his back. His skin was warm.

"Morning, sleepy head," she greeted, placing a kiss on his lips.

"Mornin'..." he replied with a yawn. "How'd you sleep?"

"Great. You?"

He pulled her against him, trapping her there and rolled onto his back. "I'm still tired. And you're a good blanket." She squirmed, getting comfortable.

"I vote for another lazy day," she said as she rested her forehead on his. "A full one this time. Last time, we only had half of one."

He kissed her and added in, "Half of one that left me with sand where sand should not be. But I got to see you in a bikini."

"And take a cold shower," she teased. He groaned and bit his lip.

"Don't remind me."

"Well, like I said. I can fix that for you after your stitches are out. So tonight..." She kissed him to accentuate her point. She then pulled away, rolling onto her back, then snuggling into his side. "I'll take your stitches out later. Let's order room service." She grabbed the menu that was in the night stand drawer and opened it. "What do we want?" She smirked at him as his head fell back onto the bed.

* * *

"No! Stop it, Chris! No, no, no! Stop that now, _Christopher_! That tickles!" Jill tried to push his hands away as she laughed from the sensation of his assault. He continued his attack, lifting her shirt and kissing her stomach. She squealed and tried to stop him to no avail.

"Say mercy!" he demanded, laughing.

"N, n, never!" she spoke through her giggles.

"Say it!" He increased his action, placing small, teasing kisses on her neck.

"F, fine!"

"Say mercy!"

"Mercy!" Instantly, he stopped. She gasped for air, letting her head fall back on the bed. "_**My God**_, Chris." She pulled him down beside her on the bed. "I love you..." She kissed him before jumping up off the bed and grabbing her first aid kit. She returned and yanked his shirt up to expose his bandage. "Let's check your stiches." She removed the old bandage and disposed of it. Readying her tweezers and scissors, she looked at him. "Ready?"

"Yeah," he replied.

Slowly, she cut the thread and, with a flick of her wrist, she pulled what remained out. She repeated this until every stitch was desposited into the trash. "I'm going to put some butterfly bandaids on and another small piece of gauze over for now, but you're free of them now." He gulped as she winked at him.

Slowly, she straddled him. "Do you want dinner or would you prefer dessert first?" Her voice was low and sultry.

"D... Dessert..."

She smiled and guided his hands under the fabric of her shirt.


	13. Chapter 13

**Sleep**

Jill woke and slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she realized was the bed beside her was empty. She sat up, almost fearful he had left. It was an irrational fear, she knew. She wasn't a one night stand to him. But the fear persisted until she heard the shower running. He had left the door open, probably because she had asked for that earlier in the week.

She smiled as she slipped out of bed and entered the bathroom. She stepped in behind him, still naked from their night together. He jumped when her hands touched his back. He calmed though, once he realized it was her. "Morning..." She smiled again and continued to wash his back for him. He leaned against her touch before turning to capture her mouth. Soon the only sounds were each other whispering to each other turning into moans of pleasure into pleas for more.

When they finally managed to wash instead of indulging in each other, they dressed and collapsed on the couch. "What should we do today?"

He shrugged and pulled her onto his lap, where she splayed out so only her torso was in his lap, the rest of her being on the length of the couch. "What do you want to do?"

She smirked up at him. "What we did last night would be fun. And what we did a half an hour ago. But other than that... well, we don't really need any thing other than that. Unless you want to do something else. Personally, I wouldn't mind staying in the hotel room and putting a "do not disturb" sign on the door."

He laughed and pulled her into an upright position. A frown appeared on his face. "Jill..?"

"What is it, Chris?"

"You're happy to be with me, right?" She rolled her eyes. "Jill..."

"Chris, don't be ridiculous. Of course I'm happy with you."

"But you seemed... not yourself for the past few days. On and off..."

She sighed. "Chris, I've been messed up for the past few months. This is the best I've felt in a long time." She gave him a quick kiss. "I know I've been struggling, but... It really helped when we got together. When you said you wanted to take time off with me, it helped even more. The last week or whatever... I've loved it." She pressed her cheek against his. "I haven't been normal since I was locked in that stupid cell..." She sighed again. "This is the closest I've gotten to normal."

"I love you, Jill," he whispered.

"I love you too, Chris." She looked him in the eyes. "No more insecurity, okay? I love you tons, so there's no need."

He laughed and shook his head. "Then what was it called when you were nervous earlier this week?"

She huffed. "That was me being unsure because you practically acted like you hated me for year. Maybe not hate, but you were an ass."

He frowned and pulled her close. "I'm sorry... You didn't deserve that..."

She bit her lip. "Damn right I didn't. But if you haven't noticed, I've forgiven you." She cuddled against him and he held her, filled with regret at his past actions. In a way, he had tried to forget about her in hopes that he would stop loving her. He felt obscenely lucky to have her right then, though. She made everything better. "Chris?"

"Yeah, babe?"

"We should go home." She wasn't sure what she meant by home, her apartment or his. Either one, she wanted him with her. "Stay here a day or two more and head home. Get a flight and go back."

"We should move in together," he mentioned.

"Your place or mine?"

"A whole new place. Get an apartment big enough for us both. Or maybe even a small house," he elaborated. She raised her eyebrows. A house together? That implied settling down much more permently. But... She was okay with that.

"Yeah... A house would be nice."

"We can use the rest of our vacation to look at some. We could be in our own house together by the end of the month!" he spoke excitedly.

She smiled, shifting to have a leg on either side of his lap and looking in his face. "You're sexy when you talk about us."

He grinned and set his hands on her hips. "You're sexy all the time."

She kissed him, knotting her fingers in his hair and pulling him close. It wasn't long before they found themselves on the bed. It was discovered that redressing after the shower had been pointless. They were undressed again within minutes. They moved against each other, voices echoing in the room. In the past twenty four hours, they had learned each other's bodies better than ever. All their focus was on, though, was learning more.

When they finally fell breathless onto the bed, he kissed her forehead. "Jill..."

She snuggled against him. "Yeah?"

"Imagine where we'll be a few years from now... Our own house. Who knows what else..." She heard something hidden in his voice.

"What do you think it'll be like?" she asked.

He shrugged. "We'd be settled in our own house. A pet of some kind. Probably a fish. Maybe married..." He wanted to go on. He was hopeful of their future.

She smiled. "That's it?"

He looked very seriously into her eyes. "I've kinda always wanted a kid." She looked surprised at his admition, though he had said it before. "But it's your body, so it's your choice." She smiled and kissed the part of him that was closest, his chin.

"We've gotta plan then. We can't take care of a baby if we still work as agents in the BSAA." He started to object at the thought of quiting their job, but she continued. "I say we work until we're about thirty-four or so. You'll be that old before me, so when you turn it, we can become consultants for missions. We won't go on any more and there won't be long trips to other countries. The baby would be able to have us both then too. What if we had a child in only a couple years and something happened to one of us?" She frowned. "I don't think either of us could handle that."

He shook his head and pulled her closer. "How do you think things through so fast?"

She shrugged. "One of the reasons I was hired to STARS was my ability to break down situations and figure out the best plan for each." She looked up at him. "I just want our baby to have the best life possible."

He smiled. "With you as it's mom, how could it have any less?"

She smirked at him and curled against him with a yawn. "Not to mention you as a dad."

"This kids gonna have a good life, huh?"

She nodded. "The best we can give it."

He yawned and turned on his side, pulling her into his arms. "I'm tired..."

"Me too..."

Comforted with their plans for a future together, they settled in for some well deserved sleep.

**Fin.**


End file.
